Mold growth in homes
Mold growth is very common in damp building environments. During building assessment for mold growth, sampling is sometimes necessary. For example air sampling may be performed to determine whether visible mold growth has degraded indoor air quality. Air sampling may also help to determine the presence, location, and/or extent of suspected hidden mold growth. Air sampling is also used to determine the effectiveness of mold remediation. Interpretation of air sample results can be difficult if clear sampling objectives were not set prior to sampling.
Surface sampling involve collecting samples such as bulk material, tape-lift samples, swabs/wipes, contact plates or dust samples. These type of samples (with the exception of contact plates) can be analyzed by direct microscopic examination (DME) to verify the presence of mold growth.
Content sampling can also be conducted during a mold growth investigations. Content sampling helps to determine whether visible mold growth is present on the items or whether there are significant amounts of settled mold materials on their surfaces. Contents can be sampled using tape-lifts, swabs, contact plates or by collecting dust settled on their surfaces.
Mold growth on bread and other foods
Mold can grow on many types of food including bread. Mold growth may appear gray fur on forgotten bologna, fuzzy green dots on bread, white dust on Cheddar, coin-size velvety circles on fruits, and furry growth on the surface of jellies. Eating food that shows mold growth is risky. Apart from being unsightly, food contaminated with mold may also contain toxic compounds called mycotoxins. Some mycotoxins can easily cause death when ingested.
Sampling for mold growth on solid foods such as bread can easily be achieved by use of clear scotch tape. The tape is gently pressed on the growth and then gently peeled and stuck on clear plastic bag. This can then mailed to a mold testing laboratory for analysis..